Stage curtain or drop



April 29, 1930. F. E. WEIDHAAS 1,756,043

STAGE CURTAIN OR DROP Filed July 14, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l Q ATTONEY April 29, 1930. w m s 1,756,043

STAGE CURTAIN 0R DROP Filed July 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fran ("25E fi zayzaaps ATTORNEY April 29, 1930. v WEIDHAAS 1,756,043

STAGE CURTAIN OR DROP Filed Jul 14, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 AAA INVENTOR BY AXW XA ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1930' UNITED STATES FRANCIS E. WEIDHAAS, OF BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK STAGE CURTAIN OR DROP Application filed July 14,

My present invention relates to an improvement in method of, and apparatus for, stage fittings or scenic effects, and is more especiall directed to an improvement in settings, w erein means are provided, as will hereinafter be disclosed in detail, to vary the setting or background of a stage by the use of a curtain or curtains.

One advantage of my device is the provision with a curtain or back drop, of means wherein the curtain may be quickly and easily raped, as a. setting, in the simllitude of various objects, such as trees, tents, door openings, Gothic arches or conventionalized ornamental representations or outlines thereof, either in solid outline or shadow form.

Various other forms of outline may be developed for the purpose above specified, such variations, of which a few are herein 2o disclosed, being unlimited, and my device being extremely flexible in this respect, such variations being only limited by the imagination of the scenic artists or the requirements of the act.

While I have only shown one curtain setting herein by wa of illustration, a further obvious use is in t e mounting of a plurality of curtains one behind the other, each of which is contourably draped to one portion of the setting, the combined plurality of draped curtains creating any desired single ensemble.

Modifications may be made in the structural means herein disclosed, for the desired accomplishment, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 represents the front view of the curtain drop, in broken view, showing its undraped proportions to the proscenium which is shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof showing the structural details of the contour control means.

Fig. 3 shows a modification, rear view, of a different arrangement of the contour control means.

Fig. 4 shows a rear view of the curtain 1928. Serial No. 292,826.

contour control means arranged to delineate a conventional openin Figs. 5 to 13 show, diagrammatically, a series of unlike contours into which the curtain may be draped.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of one form of arrangement whereby the curtain contouring control cables are concentrated from their various points of connection with the curtain to a single station for easy and rapid manual manipulation.

My device consists of a fabric curtain A, Figs. 1 and 2, which may be of any texture and color, or combinations thereof, and which is suspended upon any suitable means when in undraped or draped position, such as a cable or bar 2; if a cable is used, two eyebars 3-3, suitably ailixed to opposite walls or supports 4-4 keep the cable taut, and the curtain fixedly supported in full open suspension, as in Fig. 1. At this point of attachment the curtain may hang flat on the cable 2 without any fulling. In Fig. 1 the curtain is shown broken away at opposite ends, as at A-A, for convenience in showing.

It will further be noted that, in Figs. 1 and 2, the curtain is much wider in dimension, over all, than the roscenium B, shown in dotted lines in both gures. This is for the purpose of providing an excess of curtain length, so that, when draped in desired contours, as in Fig. 4, the outer ends 5 of the curtain may not be exposed and destroy the desired effects, unless, as in some instances, the exposed ends provide a part of the desired contour design effect. However, the curtain in its over-all dimensions must be sufliciently ample over the width of the proscenium to permit of maximum take-up of its lower edge 6 in forming any desired contour, without unduly straining or distorting the curtain into ungraceful folds or destroying the continuity of desired outline.

To create the various types of contoured forms of the curtain, as shown in Figs. 4 to 13, or any other form or shape, and to maintain it in desired set outline, any one of which is entirely formed by varying the suspension of the lower edge 6 of the curtain, it is necessary to provide such edge 6 with a flexible weight member 7, shown as a heavy metal chain, the hem of the edge 6, in Figs. 1 and 2, being broken away in these two views in order to show the lay of the chain therein. Any other form of articulate 0r flexible weight may be used. I have found that a chain, as described, is entirely satisfactory for the purpose.

With the chain 7 thus disposed in the lower hemmed edge 6 of the curtain, I then provide the curtain with a contouring control means consisting of a plurality of manually manipulatable lines or cables 8, Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, these cables being affixed at their lower ends 9 to the chain filled hem edge 6. These lines are then run up to the top of the curtain, there to pass over a series of pulleys 10, one for each line 8, said pulleys being suitably mounted upona support 11, which is in fixed relation to the curtain suspension means 2-3. The opposite ends of the lines or cables 8 are led over the pulleys 10, to one side of the stage at which point there is affixed a pinrality of drum pulleys 12, Fig. 14, these being rotatably supported upon one side wall 4. The cables then pass over their respective pulleys, downwardly, with sufficient length to be manipulated, and after being set, to be attached to wall cleats 13, Figs. 2 to 4, and 14, to hold the curtain in desired contour arrangement, one of which is shown at Fig. 4, with the edge 6 set in a conventional draped contour, which is firmly held in easy curves, by reason of the setting of the spaced cables 8 in drawn position, locked on the cleats and, also, by reason of the weight of the comparatively heavy chain in the hem edge 6 of the curtain.

In practice, it is understood that the control lines 8 are at the back of the curtain, away from public view.

A modified form of contour controlling cable attachment is shown in Fig. 3. wherein the lines 8 are crossed at the center of the curtain. running from any pulley 10. to a point of attachment on the opposite side of the curtain. This modified form permits 0t variation of curtain contours.

In the use of my device, such arrangements of curtain contour, as are indicated in Figs. 4 to 12, provide for arrangements of contour wherein the curtain is drawn to expose different designs of openings I). whereas in Fig. 13 the ensemble there efiected is substantially the reverse; in this latter View the curtain is so arranged by the manipulation of the proper hand lines 8, as to be itself the design or contour, delineating therein a conventionalized tree design.

What I desire to protect and claim is:

1. In combination with a suspended curtain and a pulley system, selective means to hold said curtain in a predetermined contour position, and a flexible means in said curtain to positively retain the curtain in said contour position.

2. In a device of the class described, a curtain, flexible weight means associated with the curtain, a pulley system, and control means associated with said flexible means and said pulley systemto position said curtain in a, predetermined contour position.

3. In a device of the class described, a suspended curtain, flexible weight means associated with said curtain to retain it in suspended position, a pulley system, a plurality of selective and independently manipulatable means associated with said flexible means and said pulley system.

4. In a device of the class described, a curtain adapted to be suspended, means associated with a portion of said curtain to retain it in suspended position, a pulley system, a plurality of independent cables associated with said pulley system and said means, each of said cables being adapted for motion independently of the others.

5. In a device of the class described, a curtain adapted to be vertically suspended, flexible means associated with the lowermost pertion of said curtain to maintain the same in 1 tain adapted to be vertically suspended, an

articulated weight means disposed along the lowermost edge of said curtain. a pulley system. aseries of cables associated with said Dulley system and adapted to be independently manipulatable. the endsofsaidpables remote from said pulley system being associated with said weight means in sequence.

8. In combination with a suspendedcurtain and a pulley system-a selective, manually operated means for changing the contour of said curtain into a desired outline and fixed means for holding said contour at will.

9. In combination with a suspended curtain, a plurality of fixed members and a pulley system, a curtain contour control means including a plurality of manipulatable means operatively associated with said curtain and said members and selectively applicable for varying the contour of the curtain at will.

10. In combination with a curtain and a plurality of fixed members a contour control means for the curtain, including a series of selective manipulatable means operatively manually varylng any part of the contour of said curtain at will. 12. The method of forming a contour design with a curtain, which consists in loading the lower edge of the curtain with a: flexible weight member, then raising suitable parts of said curtain at a number of points to the most pronounced positions of the re uired contour and then manipulating and a justing the raising of the parts of the curtain at intermediate points on said curtain until the combined influence of the force of said weight member and said raising of said last mentioned parts produces the required contour.

13. In combination with a curtain and a pulley system a contour control means for said curtain, including a plurality of fixed parts, vertically disposed flexible members for suspending said curtain therefrom, said members extending each at one end thereof to the lower edge of the curtain and being connected at the other end thereof to one of said fixed parts, to be manually shortened at will, thereby raising corresponding parts of said edge to form a desired contour for said curtain.

14. In combination with a curtain and a pulley system a contour control means for said curtain including a plurality of suitable cleats, positioned near said curtain, and a plurality of vertically disposed flexible members for suspendin said curtain therefrom, said members exten in" each at one end thereof to the lower edge of the curtain and being connected at the other end thereof each to one of said cleats, to be manually shortened at will, thereby raising corresponding parts of said edge to form a desired contour for said curtain.

15. In combination with a suspended curtain and a pulley system a contour control means for said curtain, comprising flexible members for raising a plurality of points on the lower edge of said curtain and means for exerting a downwardly pulling force on ortions of said curtain, which are positione intermediately of said points, thereby forming and changing the contour of said curtain at will.

16. In combination with a suspended curtain a contour control means for said curtain comprising a means for raising a plurality of points on the lower edge of said curtain and a means for exerting a downwardly pullmg force on portions of said curtain, which are positioned intermediately of said points, thereb forming and changing the contour of sai curtain at will.

17. In combination with a suspended curtain a contour control means comprising a means for drawing a plurality of points on the lower edge of said curtain in one direction and a means for exerting a force on portions of said curtain positioned intermediately of said points to draw said portions in a direction, which is substantially opposite to said first mentioned direction, thereby forming and changing the contour of said curtain at will.

18. In combination with a suspended curtain a contour control means comprising a means for drawing a plurality of points on the said curtain each in one direction and a means for exerting a force on portions of said curtain, which are positioned intermediately of said points to draw said portions each in a direction, which is substantially opposite to the direction in which the points of said curtain which are adjacent to said portions, are being drawn, thereby forming and changing the contour of said curtain at will.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 13th day of July, A. D. 1928.

FRANCIS E. WEIDHAAS. 

